An archipelago of more than 13,500 islands, including Java, one of the
world's most densely populated areas, Indonesia is a republic whose
population speaks Bahasa Indonesia (the official language), Javanese, and
up to 100 other Austronesian languages.

In October 1957, a man named Sutrisno (many Indonesians have only one
name) became acquainted with Garth N. Jones and George H. Hansen,
Latter-day Saints who were living in Yogyakarta. Sutrisno lived with
Hansen's family for three years. He later formed friendships with other
Church members who were temporarily residing in Indonesia, including Perry
Polson, Dennis B. Butler and Ludy M. VanderHoeven. On 1 June 1969 Sutrisno
became the first Indonesian to be baptized in his native country.

Elders Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve, Bruce R. McConkie,
then of the Seventy, and other leaders visited Indonesia in October 1969.
A short time later, on 5 January 1970, six missionaries from the Southeast
Asia Mission arrived in Jakarta to formally initiate missionary work there.
They were Frank Willard, Dale Storer, Robert Meier, Ross Marchant, Greg
Hawker and Larry Hunt.

The missionaries were met by four Latter-day Saint families who were
stationed in Jakarta on work assignments. Several local people assisted
the missionaries with legal and other issues, including Ibrahim, an
Indonesian businessman who had joined the Church in Holland; Piet Tandiman,
an attorney who joined the Church; Siang Sililahih, member of the
Department of Religion and Culture who had attended BYU in the 1950s; and
Jan Walendouw, who knew of the Church through his business dealings with
Church members Peter and Maxine Grimm in the Philippines.

Mission President G. Carlos Smith organized the Jakarta Branch on 15
February 1970 with Dennis B. Butler as president. The missionaries
baptized their first two converts on 29 March and the Church was officially
recognized by the Republic of Indonesia on 11 August. Before the end of
the year missionaries were also working in Bandung and Bogor. Several
other cities on the island of Java received missionaries in the next three
years: Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, Surabaya, and Malang. The Java District
was created on 16 November 1972. The country had 770 Church members and
six branches at the end of 1974.

In 1975, Tjan Hardjiono and Suharto became the first two Indonesians to
serve full-time missions in their homeland. The Indonesia Jakarta Mission
was created on 1 July 1975. Hendrik Gout, the first president, was born in
Java and joined the Church in 1953 in the Netherlands.

In 1977, the Book of Mormon was printed in the language of Bahasa
Indonesia, the Central Java District was created (the second district in
the country), the Church opened an elementary school in Jakarta, and
welfare services sister missionaries arrived in Indonesia to help Church
members and others improve nutrition and avoid disease. A third member
district, the East Java District, was organized in February 1978.

In August 1978, Indonesia's Minister of Religion issued Ministerial
Decree Number 70. It limited missionary activities of all religions among
people of other faiths. Beginning in August 1979, the government refused
to renew visas for several missionaries, most of whom were transferred to
the Philippines to finish their missions. On 1 September, the leader of
the country, President Suharto, requested that all foreign missionaries in
Indonesia be gradually replaced by Indonesian nationals. The Indonesia
Jakarta Mission was discontinued in December 1980 and missionary efforts
were coordinated by the Singapore Mission. The Church's last young non-
Indonesian missionaries left the country in August 1981. Leadership
responsibility in the country now rested almost entirely on the shoulders
of local Church members.

In early 1981, there were 24 Indonesian full-time missionaries serving
in their homeland. By the end of 1987, the number had doubled, to 49. The
Indonesia Jakarta Mission was re-opened in July 1985 with Effian Kadarusman
as president. He served for four years instead of the usual three. When
his intended successor encountered visa problems in 1989, the mission was
again discontinued and Indonesia again became part of the Singapore
Mission. At that time Piet Tandiman began serving as a local full-time
counselor to the mission president in Singapore. He was succeeded in this
position in 1992 by his son Juswan, who in 1994 was succeeded by
Subandriyo. The Indonesia Jakarta Mission was re-opened once more in
1995.

In 1987, the Church closed its elementary school in Jakarta because of
high costs, the fact that only a small number of Latter-day Saint children
were able to attend, and the feeling that Church funds could be better used
in supporting other educational needs in Indonesia. In the mid-1990s,
missionaries began working in cities on islands outside of Java, including
Sumatra and Sulawesi.

Couple missionaries from other lands began serving in Indonesia during
the 1990s. A few young non-Indonesian missionaries were allowed to serve
there for five months in 1993. Missionaries from Australia, Canada,
Germany, and Great Britain were granted visas in 2001, but were evacuated
after the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City on 11
September.

President Gordon B. Hinckley met with Indonesia's new President
Abdurrahman Wahid and members of his cabinet in January 2000 and also held
a conference with Church members in Jakarta. Later that year the Church
donated rice, hygiene kits, and clothing to assist refugees who were
fleeing from violence in East Timor. In April 2003, Subandriyo became the
first Indonesian called to serve as an Area Authority Seventy.

In 2002, membership reached 5,604. In 2003, there were 5,720.

Sources: Garth N. Jones, Spreading the gospel in Indonesia: A Jonah and
a contagion, 1981, Church Archives; Lorna H. Cook, The Church in the
Republic of Indonesia, 1994, Church Archives; R. Lanier Britsch, From the
East: The History of the Latter-day Saints in Asia, 1851- 1996, 1998;
Southeast Asia Mission, Manuscript history and historical reports, Church
Archives; Local unit history file (microfiche), 1983, Church Archives;
Singapore Mission, Manuscript history and historical reports, Church
Archives; "Indonesian Minister Thanks Church for Aid," Church News, 6 May
2000; "Travels of the Prophet," Church News, 30 December 2000; "2000: 'A
Remarkable Year for the Church," Church News, 30 December 2000; "Changes
Announced in Leadership Positions," Church News, 5 April 2003.